HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Plum, L. A. Articles by Clagett-Dame, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Plum, L. A. Articles by Clagett-Dame, M.

---

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Retinoic Acid Combined with Neurotrophin-3 Enhances the Survival and Neurite Outgrowth of Embryonic Sympathetic Neurons

Lori A. Plum^*,, Luis F. Parada, Pantelis Tsoulfas^,2 and Margaret Clagett-Dame^*,,1

^* Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences and
Department of Biochemistry and School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706;
Center for Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235–9133;
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892–4092

Both nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) are necessary for the survival of embryonic sympathetic neurons in vivo. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) has been shown to promote neurite outgrowth and long-term survival of chick embryonic sympathetic neurons cultured in the presence of NGF. The present study shows that atRA can also potentiate the survival and neurite outgrowth-promoting activities of NT-3. This was accomplished by enhancing the survival of existing neurons, as cell proliferation was unaffected by exposure to atRA. atRA also enhanced neurite outgrowth of the NT-3-treated cells; however, the neurites appeared thicker and less branched than cells treated with atRA in combination with NGF. Using a quantitative PCR assay, trkA and p75^NTR mRNAs, but not trkC mRNA, were increased (1.5- to 2-fold) after 72 and 48 hr of exposure of the cultures to atRA, respectively. The atRA-induced increase in trkA mRNA may play a role in the enhanced survival of neurons cultured in the presence of either NGF or NT-3, as both neurotrophins have been shown to signal through this receptor. The time course of these mRNA changes would indicate that atRA does not regulate the neurotrophin receptor mRNA directly, rather, intervening gene transcription is required. Thus, during development, atRA may play a role in fine-tuning embryonic responsiveness to both NT-3 and NGF.

Key Words: neurotrophin-3 • retinoic acid • nerve growth factor • TrkA • p75^NTR • sympathetic neuron

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Hagglund, A. Berghard, J. Strotmann, and S. Bohm Retinoic acid receptor-dependent survival of olfactory sensory neurons in postnatal and adult mice. J. Neurosci., March 22, 2006; 26(12): 3281 - 3291. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]